Manchester United are moving forward with a handful of transfer targets in an attempt to bolster Erik ten Hag’s squad for the new season.
The Premier League season is just over a month away and the transfer window is surely about to start moving – especially for Manchester United.
Signings have not yet arrived but Erik ten Hag’s future has now been settled with the Dutchman staying on as United boss after all.
The focus now turns to bolstering Ten Hag’s options for the new season and two targets appear to be in the pipeline for United.
Reports suggest that a £34million deal for Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee is now moving closer to completion.
United are also understood to be confident of signing Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt as Ten Hag chases a Dutch double deal.
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Facundo Pellistri sends message to Manchester United target Manuel Ugarte
Zirkzee can offer competition for Rasmus Hojlund in attack whilst De Ligt could be United’s long-term centre back option on the right side of defence.
Those are two key additions to the spine of the team and United could focus on a midfielder once those two deals are done.
The main man United want to sign is Paris Saint-Germain ace Manuel Ugarte.
The Uruguayan only joined PSG from Sporting for £51million last summer but boss Luis Enrique is already prepared to sell him to United.
A combative midfield player with a potentially big future ahead of him at just 23, Ugarte could be the ideal long-term replacement for Casemiro in midfield.
Ugarte is currently at Copa America though and scored the crucial penalty to dump Brazil out of the competition in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The midfielder took to Instagram to celebrate and received a message from United talent Facundo Pellistri in the process.
Pellistri – who lined up alongside Ugarte for Uruguay against Brazil – stated ‘what a lovely moment’ alongside a love heart emoji.
Pellistri loved watching Ugarte send Uruguay into the semi-finals and the pair may yet join forces at Old Trafford once Copa America finishes.
Ugarte shining at Copa America
Ugarte may not want to let a potential transfer distract him from Copa America, but United will understandably be anxious to get a deal done as he continues to shine.
The last thing United want is for PSG to either hike up their price or even pull a U-turn and decide to keep him.
Ugarte has been superb this summer though, averaging 5.3 tackles per game; only two players in the competition are above him in that category.
The PSG man is also averaging 1.5 interceptions per game, providing a strong protective screen in front of the Uruguay back line.
That ability – alongside the aggressive mentality Ugarte has shown for Sporting and Uruguay – is just what United need to bolster Ten Hag’s midfield.
A deal doesn’t seem to be nearly as close as the moves for De Ligt and Zirkzee, but he could be next up having impressed in the United States this summer.
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